Monthly Archives: April 2017

Perspective: Krista Riblet, Parent Everywhere we go, it always happens. We’ll be out at the mall or at a restaurant, and some stranger comes up to our family and says, “Hi Johnny!” My husband and I always laugh because sometimes it feels like he knows more people than we do. If you’ve ever met Jonathan, [...]

Tina Northern, Director of Special Education When Tina Northern began her career in education, she never thought she would work in special education, let alone become the director of special education. Tina began her education career as an elementary classroom teacher. Within her classroom, she had a group of students with disabilities. She wanted to [...]

Dr. Kathy Mentz, PACE Academic Dean For over 30 years, Kathy Mentz has worked with students with disabilities. But her experience and inspiration came at an even younger age. Growing up, her family was friends with a family whose daughter had Down Syndrome. As a child, Kathy never realized her friend was different. Her [...]

Julene Fitch, Visual Impairment Consultant For Julene Fitch, becoming a teacher who works with students with blindness and low vision was more than a career goal – it became her personal passion, as the mother of a son who was blind. When her son was in second grade, Julene returned to college, earning a [...]

Special Education FAQs How can parents become more involved in their child’s special education experience? Parents are the foremost advocate for their child. We encourage parents to be actively engaged with their child’s teacher and administrator, and ask questions. Parents of students with disabilities have the right to request a case conference at any [...]

Grant helps establish career pathways for students Through a Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) or pre-employment transition services grant, Elkhart Memorial and Elkhart Central high schools have been given the opportunity to provide their young adult students with a job coach. This grant provides funding for job coaches in both high schools, specifically [...]

Grant helps establish career pathways for students wwood
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Building friendships through track and field Last year, through the collaborative efforts of many individuals and groups, Elkhart Community Schools introduced the Unified Track Meet to high school students at Elkhart Central and Elkhart Memorial. This year, the program has grown to include kindergarten through grade 8 students with the Special Olympics: Unified Champion [...]

Building friendships through track and field wwood
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West Side Disability Awareness Day “It’s hard reading words that are not clearly written and it’s a struggle because you would have to move your head places to be able to see.” “It was frustrating because I could barely read the blurry words and I didn’t know how to pronounce something.” “It was hard. [...]

Reading and math brought alive through cooking In an intense intervention class at Elkhart Memorial, students learn more than information from a textbook – they learn the everyday skills to help prepare them for life after graduation, including cooking. Led by special education teachers Franki Hawkins, Don Knowlton, and a team of strong paraprofessionals, [...]

About ECS

Elkhart Community Schools is a district that serves approximately 13,000 students, and is known for high-quality programs, exceptional teachers, superior learning environments, and strong parental and community support.

Whether you were born in the area or you are looking to call Elkhart County your new home, we welcome the opportunity for you and your family to become part of our growing school family.